own in the rural Midwest, the best restaurant was known only for its cinnamon rolls. On a snowy morning what’s better with great with a cup of coffee? But you can't live on them.

Where I dwell now, there are thousands of eateries that I’d never discover if I popped into a new one

I’ve been running into some weird customer service karma, lately.

A fine Continental restaurant that I’ve frequented for a dozen years sent an incredibly dumb waiter to serve me, someone who wouldn’t cut it in a fast food place, let alone a fine establishment.

Gee, if their service is getting this bad, I’ll teach myself how to make lobster pasta!

An usher at a movie theater mistakenly told me to rearrange my feet—they appeared to be dangling perilously close to the empty seat in front of mine.

Wow, if I’m going to have overzealous folks bugging me like this, I’ll just watch films in my surround-sound living room!

I could go on, mentioning how flaky the most disciplined person I know is getting, ignoring and canceling appointments, and taking to reading comic books—that’s right—comic books at his desk during working hours!

But, really, I don’t take these circumstances personally. The world isn’t finally grinding to a halt.

I do, however, take these events as cues from the universe. It's saying:

Change your routine. Try something new!

When I was teaching at a college in a small town in the rural Midwest, the best restaurant was known only for its cinnamon rolls. On a snowy morning what’s better with great with a cup of coffee? But you can't live on them.

Where I dwell now, there are thousands of eateries that I’d never discover if I popped into a new one

service is getting this bad, I’ll teach myself how to make lobster pasta!

An usher at a movie theater mistakenly told me to rearrange my feet—they appeared to be dangling perilously close to the empty seat in front of mine.

Wow, if I’m going to have overzealous folks bugging me like this, I’ll just watch films in my surround-sound living room!

I could go on, mentioning how flaky the most disciplined person I know is getting, ignoring and canceling appointments, and taking to reading comic books—that’s right—comic books at his desk during working hours!

But, really, I don’t take these circumstances personally. The world isn’t finally grinding to a halt.

I do, however, take these events as cues from the universe. It's saying:

Change your routine. Try something new!

When I was teaching at a college in a small town in the rural Midwest, the best restaurant was known only for its cinnamon rolls. On a snowy morning what’s better with great with a cup of coffee? But you can't live on them.

Where I dwell now, there are thousands of eateries that I’d never discover if I popped into a new one

me like this, I’ll just watch films in my surround-sound living room!

I could go on, mentioning how flaky the most disciplined person I know is getting, ignoring and canceling appointments, and taking to reading comic books—that’s right—comic books at his desk during working hours!

But, really, I don’t take these circumstances personally. The world isn’t finally grinding to a halt.

I do, however, take these events as cues from the universe. It's saying:

Change your routine. Try something new!

When I was teaching at a college in a small town in the rural Midwest, the best restaurant was known only for its cinnamon rolls. On a snowy morning what’s better with great with a cup of coffee? But you can't live on them.

Where I dwell now, there are thousands of eateries that I’d never discover if I popped into a new one

s!

But, really, I don’t take these circumstances personally. The world isn’t finally grinding to a halt.

I do, however, take these events as cues from the universe. It's saying:

Change your routine. Try something new!

When I was teaching at a college in a small town in the rural Midwest, the best restaurant was known only for its cinnamon rolls. On a snowy morning what’s better with great with a cup of coffee? But you can't live on them.

Where I dwell now, there are thousands of eateries that I’d never discover if I popped into a new one

own in the rural Midwest, the best restaurant was known only for its cinnamon rolls. On a snowy morning what’s better with great with a cup of coffee? But you can't live on them.

Where I dwell now, there are thousands of eateries that I’d never discover if I popped into a new one each week for the rest of my life.

So, why am I going to a handful that I already know?

Habit, mostly.

That’s what a good run of bad karma can do for you. It gets you to acknowledge that you’re in a rut. It’s time for a change.

The next time you can’t seem to get customer service at the familiar haunts, don’t get upset. Just be thankful and take it as a sign that you need to shelve those places for a while.

Find a new handful of places, and start the cycle over again!